One of the lesser-known yet incredibly useful features of OneDrive is the ability to password-protect shared links for files and folders so that only authorized persons can access the contents of the shared link. It’s a much more secure and safe way to share sensitive content. For example, when I recently needed to share a financial document with my accountant, I used this feature to password-protect the link before sharing it. The best part? Password-protecting your OneDrive share links is quick and easy. Let me show you how to do it in simple steps. Let’s start.
Before You Begin
- Password-protecting links for shared files and folders in OneDrive requires a premium subscription.
- The steps are shown in OneDrive web. However, you can replicate these steps in Windows too.
Add a Password to Shared Files and Folders in OneDrive
- Open the OneDrive website.
- Right-click on the file or folder you want to share.
- Select the “Share” option.
- Click the “Anyone with the link can edit” option.
- Type the password in the “Set Password” field.
- Click the “Apply” button.
- Copy the sharable link and share it as needed.
- That is it. With that, you’ve password-protected shared link for the file/folder in OneDrive.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the OneDrive website (link). You can either click the link I’ve provided or search for it on Google or Bing. In OneDrive, find the file or folder you want to share, right-click on it, and select the “Share” option.

Click the “Anyone with the link can edit” option under the “Copy link” section in the “Share” dialog.

By default, the shared item is set to “Can edit”. That means anyone can edit the file. If you don’t want that, select “Can view” from the first dropdown.
Next, type the password of your choice in the “Set password” field and click the “Apply” button.

That’s it. You’ve created a sharable link with password protection. Copy the link and share it as needed.

From now on, anyone accessing the shared link must enter the password you set to view the file or folder.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.